Current medical research and opinion
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Observational Study
Tapentadol prolonged release for managing moderate to severe chronic neck pain with or without a neuropathic component.
Background: Despite the high prevalence of neck pain, few studies have addressed the pharmacological treatment of this condition. Purpose: We evaluated the effectiveness of tapentadol prolonged-release (PR) in patients with or without a neuropathic pain component, with a focus on functional movements, disability and Quality of Life (QoL). Study design/setting: Observational, retrospective study. ⋯ ROM significantly improved in all three planes of motion (p < .01), with no difference between the two groups. Interference of pain with sleep and QoL also improved. Conclusions: The reduction in pain provided by tapentadol is associated with functional recovery, which may in turn be linked to an improvement in QoL.
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Background: Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is a persistent airflow limitation with features of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). No studies have explored the prevalence of ACO at the national level in China. Objective: In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of ACO and to assess the associated factors and comorbidities of ACO in middle-aged and older Chinese. ⋯ Comorbidities of ACO included stomach or other digestive disease, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis or rheumatism. Conclusions: ACO was a prevalent condition in middle-aged and older Chinese. Better management and more research on ACO are needed.
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Osteocalcin is an osteoblast-derived peptide mainly found in the bone matrix but also in circulation. A recent investigation suggested that osteocalcin mediated acute stress response (ASR) by inhibiting parasympathetic tone in mice and humans. We propose a hypothesis that osteocalcin is regulated by the skeleton movement and glucocorticoids, and inhibition of the parasympathetic tone by osteocalcin may indicate a therapeutic target in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).